Gulder Ultimate Search 9: Expectations, suspense, surprise

The Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS) train landed in Usaka hills and forest, Akwa Ibom State, this week. It is the ninth edition of the award-winning reality show from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc designed to empower young Nigerians as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR). This year’s edition will be full of surprises as captured in this preview by JIMI DAVID.

The die is cast. The posturing is over. Now it’s time for the real thing. It will surely be the defining moment for the 12 finalists of the 2012 edition of Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS). By now, the chosen 12 will be sequestered in the belly of rugged Usaka hills and forest, Akwa Ibom State, venue of this year’s edition. They would surely have felt tremors running through their bodies when this year’s anchor, Nollywood hunk Chidi Mokeme was introduced to them during the final selection party recently in Lagos.

After a seven-year hiatus from the reality TV show, Mokeme’s return will surely spell something different for GUS this year. The Anambra State-born actor did not mince words when he was officially introduced to the audience as well as the 12 contestants. For the 12 contestants, the journey to winning the ninth edition of GUS is far from over. If anything, the journey just got a whole lot harder.

Indeed, the journey has certainly been an interesting one for the 12 finalists. The 12, who would be going to the jungle to slug it out for who becomes the Jungle King, or Queen, as it were, are: Ujam Emmanuel, Nuhu Haruna, Ogbuefi Michael, Ifet Aniobong, Ojezele Pascal and Adah James. The others are Kofya Brown, Bornford Patience, Ayo Ojueromi, Uzor Osimkpa, Udodi Onyinyechukwu and Ezeh Priscilla.

They were a part of the thousands that made it from the regional screening held in Makurdi, Owerri, Benin and Lagos. Making it past the regional screening was anything but easy for them; they had to undergo strenuous physical tests, including, sprinting, swimming and others.

Passing the physical test was just one step of the hurdle as they also had to go through oral interviews before a panel.

Then the 30 qualifers were assembled in Lagos for psychological evaluation before they were whittled down to the final 12.

Now that they have made it to the main stage of the competition, they must all be at their best to stave off competition.

Exciting prizes await the winner. The cash prize is N9 million.

The highest since the inception of GUS, a an SUV and N500,000 wardrobe (or swagga) allowance also await the winner. That is in addition to entering the GUS Hall of Fame reserved for only a few. There is also an additional incentive of N1 million for the best female in the competition.

Apart from the winner, the other 11 participants will also be rewarded with cash pruzes ranging from N1 million for the 11th placed contestant to N3 million for the first runner- up.

Last year’s edition was won by Christopher Okagbue who, against all odds beat 30 others to the top prize.

This year’s edition will see Akwa- Ibom State hosting GUS for the first time since its inception. The competition has moved across some of the most rugged areas across the country from the Snake Islands, Lagos to Ososo Hills and Forests in Edo State, to Shere Hills in Plateau State, to NIFOR forest in Edo State, amongst others.

For Chidi Mokeme, his return would surely be a welcome relief for followers of the TV reality show. While Tin Tin and more recently Bob Manuel Udokwu have performed as presenters in the GUS, many followers have still expressed preference for Chidi Mokeme. Now, that he is back as anchor, it remains to be seen whether he would pick up from where he left, and even do better than his performance in the first two editions or whether he has become rusty.

Mokeme is not the only exciting addition to the GUS. This year’s edition has been tagged ‘The Gate Keeper’s Fortune. The Gate keeping role in this edition has been assigned to three former champions in GUS; Dominic Mudabai, Michael Nwachukwu and Christopher Okagbue – winners in the fourth, fifth and eight editions.

The three ‘wise’ men, who were voted back by the public in a poll that involved all past winners would also put the contestants through their places in the competition. This is the first time past winners of GUS will be returning back to the show in that capacity and it certainly promises to be an exciting affair.

With all of the excitement the GUS is generating, the exciting TV series has certainly entrenched itself in the hearts of followers.

When it berthed on national television nine years ago, there was a deluge of reality television series. Yet GUS, Nigerian’s first and only 100 per cent local content reality television show, has managed to worm its way into the hearts of TV viewers across the country.

Today, Gulder Utimate Search is one of the most followed reality TV shows across the country.